HAUBSTADT, Ind. — It was a packed house as round six of Indiana Sprint Week played out at Tri-State Speedway Saturday night. The crowd watched as a 30-lap USAC sanctioned feature race whirled around the quarter mile track.
Lap after lap there was that potential for a lead change. Drivers were passing other cars to challenge for a top-five spot but one car stayed out front.
Carson Short led all 30 laps.
The victory was worth $5,000. It was the Marion native’s first win at Tri-State Speedway and his first AMSOIL USAC feature victory.
The accomplishment was magnified in that it came during Indiana Sprint Week. And it continued a trend in which six races at six different tracks have produced six different winners. Three of those were first-time USAC victors.
Short’s RCM Motorsports RASS Classic Restoration sponsored DRC was fast and his effort behind the wheel flawless. Kyle Cummins caught him, stayed close, but never found any opportunity to make a pass. They were both brilliant in traffic as was third-running Chase Stockon. Robert Ballou was gaining ground on the threesome.
Ballou was honored as the Hard Charger for the race in moving up from a 16th starting spot on the grid to finish fourth. Jarett Andretti took fifth in the battle for the top paying spots.
In victory lane, Short found that one word to describe the feat.
“Unreal,” he said. “With five to go I saw Cummins down there.”
But Short had the sprint car he needed.
“The car got even better halfway through the race,” he said.
Cummins was complimentary.
“Carson made no mistakes,” Cummins said. “He picked the right line every time.”
The next race at Tri-State Speedway is scheduled for August 13. That is the night that the Hoosier Sprint Nationals will be held this year. The MSCS Sprints will compete for a $5,000 first prize.
